The family of a career criminal killed by police in Richfield, Minnesota, went on the attack. They screamed “cover-up,” demanded bodycam footage, and hired a big-name civil rights law firm to sue the city and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
They claimed the cops were hiding something. They said a “life was lost” and the police narrative was unfair.
Then the bodycam footage dropped — and it completely blew up their story.
Here’s what actually happened, straight from the video:
Around 3:30 a.m. on April 29, Richfield officers responded to a report of a car prowler. They located the suspect, Desaver Brian Hollis, a short distance away. When officers tried to stop him, Hollis ran. Sgt. Mario Leon tried to apprehend him while Sgt. Kristian Schultz deployed a Taser. The situation went to the ground, a fight broke out, and Hollis suddenly pulled a gun and shot Sgt. Leon in the hand.
The officers returned fire in self-defense. Hollis was killed.
That’s it. No ambush. No execution. A violent criminal who was breaking into cars pulled a gun on cops and paid the price.
The family’s lawyer, Nikki Holiday, had gone on camera saying, “To just say a weapon was brandished and gunfire was exchanged leaves a lot to question… Let’s get to the facts before we just put these narratives out there and start smearing the victim.”
Well, the facts are in — and the bodycam shows the police told the truth from the very beginning.
This is the same script we’ve seen play out over and over. A suspect with a long criminal history resists, attacks, or pulls a weapon, and the second he’s stopped, the family and activists immediately cry racism and demand the officer’s head. They never wait for the evidence. They never mention the victim’s rap sheet. They just run straight to the cameras and the lawyers.
Meanwhile, the two sergeants were doing exactly what we pay them to do — protecting the community from a guy breaking into cars at 3:30 in the morning. One of them took a bullet in the hand for it.
President Trump has spent years standing with cops against this exact kind of nonsense. While Democrats pushed “defund the police,” bail reform, and endless excuses for criminals, Trump has always said: back the blue, support our officers, and stop smearing them every time they have to use force to protect the public.
Incidents like this are why so many good cops are leaving the job or hesitating on the street — they know the mob and the media will come after them no matter what the video shows.
The family wanted transparency. They got it. Now the bodycam proves the officers acted in self-defense after being shot at. The real outrage should be aimed at the criminal who chose violence instead of compliance.
This case is closed. The facts are out. The only people who should be embarrassed are the ones who rushed to smear the police before the video even dropped.
America needs more officers willing to run toward danger, not fewer. And we need to stop letting professional victims and their lawyers turn every justified use of force into a payday and a racial spectacle.
The bodycam doesn’t lie. The cops did their job. End of story.
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